Chasms

I found this reflection in a homily I wrote years ago:

It is time to cross chasms, to bridge gulfs, to fill in valleys. 
We cannot keep shooting missiles of right-opinion, judgment and airy theorizing at each other from safe perches, 
while people who drift anxiously in search of real food and urgent needs stretch our capacity to stay in reality. 

Jesus told a parable about a chasm between rich and poor that came into view after death, when it was too late to do anything about it. We have time to deal with our chasms. 
If we dare to see them, we can act. 
If we dare to imagine something better, we can act. 
What we cannot do is pretend that the chasms don’t exist. 
Whether the rich man ever saw Lazarus at his gate, Lazarus was there. 
Whether or not the rich man ever questioned his behavior in light of Lazarus’ presence, questions did arise. 
Better to see reality and to imagine resolution than to deny and pretend that the reality is not what it is.